Yeah, I just found out, and boy I was thrilled! Usually, as foodies, we only see National days celebrating things like cake, cookies, and pie, but Nutella Day is a whole different story.

Here’s the scoop:

Mr. Pietro Ferrero, a genius in my books, created Nutella in the 1940’s. At the time, cocoa was in short supply, so he developed the delicious substance using mainly hazelnuts. It’s a creamy spread, that many enjoy eating on bread. However, some clever bakers have come up with genius recipes to incorporate Nutella into their baked goods as well.

Now, I usually like to eat my Nutella with a banana, but I think these cookies far surpass that habit. They are buttery, coconutty, and filled with Nutella! Perfect for that February 5th celebration!

Coconut Nutella Thumbprints

3/4 C Butter, softened

1/2 C Sugar

1 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

1 1/2 C Flour

1/4 Tsp Salt

1 C Coconut, Flaked (This is approximate. You may need more to roll the cookies in)

1 Egg whisked with 1 Tbsp Water for egg wash

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the butter and sugar, then add the vanilla. Combine the flour and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture to form a thick dough.

Collect the dough to form a large ball and refrigerate, covered, for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, roll the dough into 1 inch balls. Dip each ball in the egg wash, then roll it in the coconut.

Drop the balls onto a greased cookie sheet. With your palm, press down on each ball, then indent the middle with your thumb.

Bake for 20-22 minutes, until the coconut begins to brown.

Allow to cool.

Scoop 4 tablespoons of Nutella spread into a Ziploc bag, then cut one corner. Squeeze Nutella into the middle of each cookie….and devour!